Newsjacking is the process of injecting your brand's ideas, specialized expertise, or opinions into breaking news stories. By piggybacking on trending topics, marketers generate media attention and social engagement. Successfully using this technique allows a brand to join larger industry conversations and reach new audiences as news develops.
What is Newsjacking?
Public relations expert David Meerman Scott [introduced the term newsjacking in 2011] (Semrush). The strategy focuses on reacting immediately to a news story to gain PR coverage and capitalize on a brief spike in public interest.
Because of its impact on digital marketing, newsjacking was named one of the [Oxford Dictionary words of the year in 2017] (PRLab). It has since evolved from a pure PR tactic into a standard practice for social media and content marketing.
Why Newsjacking matters
Newsjacking provides a cost-effective way to get a brand noticed without the high spend of traditional marketing campaigns. Key benefits include:
- Boosted SEO and traffic: High-volume keywords often emerge with breaking news. [Google frequently features articles about trending stories at the top of search results] (Sprout Social), providing visibility to early responders.
- Authority and Credibility: Providing expert insight into a developing story helps a brand demonstrate its E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
- Backlink Generation: Outlets covering a story often use early-responding content as a reference, leading to authoritative backlinks.
- Lead Generation: Brands have successfully generated [thousands of new sales leads and millions of dollars in revenue] (David Meerman Scott) by injecting themselves into the right conversations.
How Newsjacking works
The lifecycle of a news story is short. To capture value, you must act after the news breaks but before it reaches the "peak" where public interest begins to dwindle.
1. Preparation (Stage: Before)
Before a story breaks, update your brand strategy and biographies for subject matter experts (SMEs). Prepare media lists that include contact details for news desks and specific journalists. Ensure you have high-quality images and brand assets ready for immediate distribution.
2. Monitoring (Stage: Be Aware)
Constantly scan the landscape for hijackable stories. Use tools like Google Trends to monitor search traffic acceleration. Set up Google Alerts for industry keywords and follow relevant journalists on social media to spot developing trends.
3. Execution (Stage: Breaking)
Once a relevant story breaks, determine your unique angle. Prepare a pitch that includes a compelling subject line, a relevant quote, a concise SME biography, and an offer for an interview.
4. Promotion (Stage: Beyond)
Repurpose your newsjacking content across social media, email campaigns, and your company blog. If a story did not receive initial media coverage, consider turning the pitch into an opinion piece for industry publications.
Best practices
- Act quickly: Timing is essential. You must publish or pitch your content before the "second stage" of the news cycle, where media hype and expert insights saturate the market.
- Verify facts: Speed cannot come at the expense of accuracy. Misreporting details can result in permanent damage to your brand’s reputation.
- Pick relevant stories: Only jump on stories that naturally connect to your industry or brand values. Irrelevant attempts can appear forced and desperate.
- Provide a unique angle: Do not simply repeat what news outlets are saying. Add something new, such as proprietary data or a controversial but grounded opinion.
- Be ethical: Avoid newsjacking stories involving natural disasters, tragedies, or humanitarian crises. Use of these events is considered poor taste and often results in public backlash.
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Capitalizing on tragedies or disasters.
- Fix: Avoid stories involving loss of life or suffering, as these will lead to negative PR.
- Mistake: Using a hashtag without researching its context.
- Fix: Always check the origin of a trending hashtag. For example, DiGiorno comically used a hashtag [related to domestic violence stories, which led to a major PR crisis] (Semrush).
- Mistake: Entering the conversation after the story has peaked.
- Fix: Monitor news cycles; if a topic is already "old news" or has been fully explored, do not participate.
- Mistake: Offering an unavailable spokesperson.
- Fix: Only pitch interview opportunities if your SME is ready to speak immediately.
Examples
- Heinz and the Barbie Movie: Heinz created a limited-edition "Barbiecue" sauce during the peak of interest in the Barbie film, gaining coverage in Bloomberg and CBS News.
- Oreo at the Super Bowl: During the power outage at Super Bowl XLVII, Oreo tweeted a simple image saying, "You can still dunk in the dark," gaining massive social engagement.
- Aviation Gin and the Peloton Ad: After a 2019 Peloton ad received backlash, Aviation Gin [hired the same actress just two days later] (Semrush) for a parody ad that received public acclaim.
- Calm and the 2020 Election: The meditation app Calm sponsored CNN’s rolling election coverage. Their [app downloads soared] (Semrush) after providing 30-second clips of silence and rain cascading on leaves during high-stress reporting.
Newsjacking vs. Trendjacking
| Category | Newsjacking | Trendjacking |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Breaking, specific news stories. | General internet trends, fads, or memes. |
| Goal | PR coverage and expert positioning. | Increased brand awareness and engagement. |
| Duration | Very short (hours to days). | Short to medium (days to weeks). |
| Risk | High (potential for insensitivity). | Lower (general satire/participation). |
FAQ
How do I find stories to newsjack? Monitor Google Trends, Twitter/X hashtags, and Reddit forums. Set up Google Alerts for specific terms related to your industry and follow the "newsbeat" of journalists who cover your sector.
When is the best time to publish newsjacking content? The "golden window" is right after a story breaks but before everyone else has covered it. You want to provide journalists with the "second paragraph" of their story—the expert commentary that adds depth.
How do I measure the success of newsjacking? Success metrics include brand mentions, earned media coverage, backlinks, and website traffic spikes. Digital PR tools like CisionOne or social tools like Sprout Social help track these figures.
Can small businesses use newsjacking? Yes. Newsjacking does not require a large budget. It only requires speed, a relevant angle, and a platform (like social media or a blog) to share the content.
What should I do if my newsjacking attempt gets negative feedback? If a post is perceived as insensitive, act quickly. Brands like DiGiorno [quickly deleted the post and issued an apology] (Semrush) to mitigate the damage.
